Hastingsia
Proc. Amer. Acad. Arts 14: 217, 242. 1879.
Herbs, perennial, scapose, glabrous, from bulbs. Bulb solitary, ovoid to ellipsoid, fleshy, with densely packed lunate scales, vein remnants sometimes persisting as blackish, fibrous tunics; no rootstocks or vertical rhizomes. Leaves predominantly basal, grasslike; blade often prominently keeled or V-shaped; cauline leaves widely spaced, progressively reduced distally, intergrading with floral bracts. Scape borne singly, arising from top of bulb, 25–99 cm, sometimes with 1–3 (–5) shorter, ascending branches; scape and branches becoming hollow and brittle. Inflorescences racemose, with flowers (10–) 24–65 (–78) per 10 cm of raceme. Flowers: perianth at anthesis closed (not exposing stamens) or partially to fully open (partially or fully exposing stamens); tepals 6, persistent, withering and shriveling to base, distinct, pure white, yellowish or greenish white, or purplish black, narrowly lanceolate to oblong-lanceolate, sometimes each with greenish, yellowish, or purplish central vein, 4–12 mm, often with flattened, triangular apex covered adaxially with minute, glandular-hairs; stamens 6; filaments dimorphic, 4–8 mm, 3 longer and with dehisced anthers at anthesis, 3 shorter and with undehisced anthers, all becoming equal after anthesis; ovary superior, ± sessile, 3-lobed, globose, ovules 2 per locule; placentation axile; style 1; stigma distinctly 3-lobed; pedicel 2–3 mm. Fruits capsular, broadly 3-lobed, ellipsoid to ellipsoid-ovoid, slightly constricted 1/3 from apex. Seeds gray-green to black or yellowish-brown, fusiform, usually flattened adaxially; coat rough, reticulate. x = 26, 27.
Distribution
w North America
Discussion
Species 4 (4 in the flora).
Selected References
None.
Lower Taxa
Key
| 1 | Tepals pure white to slightly yellowish white, or whitish to greenish or yellowish white with greenish or light purplish central vein, narrowly lanceolate, 4–7.5 × 1–2 mm; stamens exposed fully or distally at anthesis. | > 2 |
| 1 | Tepals purplish black with pale green central vein, or yellowish white with pale yellowish or purplish central vein, oblong-lanceolate, 8–12 × 2 mm; stamens seldom exposed at anthesis. | > 3 |
| 2 | Bulb 26–56 × 17–31 mm, sometimes with blackish, fibrous tunic; leaves (28–)35–41(–53) × 7–14 mm; scape 40–89 cm; terminal raceme (5–)14–27(–40) cm; flowers (24–) 44–51(–78) per 10 cm of raceme; tepals 5–7.5 mm; stamens exposed only distally at anthesis. | Hastingsia alba |
| 2 | Bulb 23–41 × 13–21 mm, usually without blackish, fibrous tunic; leaves (19–)21–27 (–35) cm × 2–6 mm; scape 29–51 cm; terminal raceme (4–)7–12(–35) cm; flowers (12–) 24–35(–48) per 10 cm of raceme; tepals 4–6.5 mm; stamens fully exposed at anthesis. | Hastingsia serpentinicola |
| 3 | Leaves 25–55 cm × 6–12 mm, blade bluish green; terminal raceme (8–)12–35(–49) cm; flowers (20–)30–36(–46) per 10 cm of raceme; tepals purplish black with pale green central vein, 9–12 × 2 mm. | Hastingsia atropurpurea |
| 3 | Leaves 24–52 cm × 4–8 mm, blade grayish green; terminal raceme (5–)8–16(–32) cm; flowers (10–)25–30(–40) per 10 cm of raceme; tepals yellowish white with pale yellowish or purplish central vein, 8–12 × 2 mm. | Hastingsia bracteosa |
"broad" is not a number."thicker" is not a number.